World Music CD Reviews Europe

Caroline Moreau launched her career by singing songs from the classic chanson tradition in the streets of Paris, but she made her name in Dublin, where she met Gypsy violinist Oleg Ponomarev (ex-Loyko). Ponomarev plays on Moreau’s debut along with guitarist Nigel Clark. The two musicians, both members of the trio known as Koshka, provide the only accompaniment, except for a few guests, the most notable being accordionist Dermot Dunne. What distinguishes Moreau from other French singers, besides the fact that she’s on a UK label and therefore much more likely to become known outside of France, is that she mostly specializes in the classic French repertoire (Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour). She’s an excellent interpreter and Ponomarev’s violin imbues the songs with a slight manouche flavor. Unfortunately, the frugal packaging has neither lyrics nor information about the songs, so anybody not fluent in French is on their own.